Tracy
and I would like to share a project with you that has
resonated well with us. We are going to Honduras
for two weeks in March, 2011 to help build a middle school. We are hoping
you might be able to help make the project a success.

Why build a school
in Honduras?

This
is a volunteer project that combines many of the things that we both value. It
is an opportunity to give to a community in need that will benefit
tremendously. We will also make a personal connection with the Hondurans
working alongside us. It is a contribution to the educational system of
rural Honduras,
and we both believe that education is a vital part of a successful
society. It is a building project that is appropriate for the time and
place, with low tech, efficient, cinder block construction.

And of course it will be a challenging adventure . . .

We
will fly to Honduras then take a bus to the Lago de Yojoa region, where we will stay in bunkhouse accommodation
arranged by World Accord’s local partner.We will work in a group of seven volunteers for ten full days,
taking a two-day break in the middle to see the ancient Mayan city of Copanand getting a better appreciation of the country. It
will be a great experience that we look forward to sharing with you.

About
World Accord

We
gained confidence in the organization that runs the project, World Accord (a
registered charity based in Waterloo, Ontario
- http://www.worldaccord.org), through speaking with neighbours who participated in a similar World Accord
project. World Accord works to ensure that the local community receives the
greatest possible benefit. This includes: partnering with local charities in Honduras
to arrange the logistics efficiently, hiring local building foremen to ensure
the building is appropriate and that the technical knowledge is retained
locally, and choosing sites for the schools to reach the maximum number of
children.

Our Commitment

We
are committing our time, effort and enthusiasm to this project and we plan to
pay for our own transportation. We are also hoping to raise enough donations to
cover materials and on-site costs. Our fund-raising target for the trip is
$3,600.

So
how can you help?

ØYou can make donations of any size, which will be
directed 100% to this project (or similar World Accord projects if we exceed
our target). Either send a cheque (with World
Accord as the Payee and “Mike and Tracy Lewis, Honduras”
on the memo line) to:

World
Accord care of Mike and Tracy Lewisplease email for our street address if you don’t have it

ØYou can attend our Central Americaat
Sunset Dinner (the 15th or 29th of January) featuring
inspired regional cuisine and a short presentation about the country and the
trip. There will be a $30 suggested donation at the time of the dinner.

ØFor the first few contributions of $300 or greater, we offer
a special thank you gift – the complete use of our cottage for a weekend. Please
email (tracy@mikeandtracy.net) or
call for the details.

ØNon-monetary contributions are
also welcome: our very cute kittens will need some company while we’re
away. J

We recognize that there are personal choices everyone has to
make about the many worthy causes in the world, and only ask that you consider
this project in your charitable contributions for the year. Thank you for
taking the time to read this, and please contact either of us if you have any
questions. If you do choose to contribute or are interested in the
dinner, shoot us a quick email (tracy@mikeandtracy.net)
so we can make sure your contribution is received.

We wish you all the best during
the holiday season and in the year ahead.